Game Nine: NC State 19, Miami 16 (OT)

The body language of Kenny Phillips says it all, doesn’t it?

Head slung low. Dejected. The long, slow walk back to the tunnel after yet another home loss. That field must’ve felt 200 yards long as these Canes trekked back to the locker room moments after a 19-16 OT loss to Wolfpack, who entered the contest 3-5 on the season.

Any notion of winning the ACC is now a pipe dream. Sure, mathematically Miami could still take the next three and hope for a for a few miracles – but if the Canes can’t knock off N.C. State how can wins over Virginia, Virginia Tech and Boston College even be considered logical? Simply put, they can’t. It’ll take an act of God for Miami to get to Jacksonville. Maybe a few.

I said after the North Carolina loss Miami faithful could expect a few more epic wins and a few more embarrassing losses in 2007. We’re seeing just that. Two weeks ago, a big time comeback against Florida State – sandwiched in between inexplicable losses to Georgia Tech and now N.C. State. The result, 5-4 with a brutal three-game stretch to end the season.

I checked out the message boards after the loss, perused my share of online articles and even had a heated debate with my old man regarding the state of the program. Two days later, I’m still sick over all of it.

I’m sick of the product on the field, I’m sick of the flip-flopping regarding fan’s opinions about the coaching staff or players and I’m flat out sick of seeing the Canes lose these types of games. Miami has been on the down cycle for too long now. It’s time to rise from the ashes like the f’n phoenix already.

Let’s start by attacking the obvious – the Canes are quarterback-less. All the Kirby Freeman supporters, where are you now? 1 of 14 for 84 yards, 1 TD and 3 interceptions? For those keeping score, since entering the game in the second quarter at Florida State, Freeman has gone 5 of 25 for 143 yards, 2 TDs and 5 interceptions over six quarters of football.

Safe to say, The Freeman Era is officially over. God love this kid’s heart, attitude and moxie, but #7 is not Miami QB material. Never was. Never will be. Now we’re hearing that Freeman was nervous, his confidence was shot and that even with all the in game pep talks from teammates, there was no shaking this kid’s fear.

When Freeman hit Dedrick Epps for the game winner and laid on the ground convulsing after being sandwiched by two Noles, a few things ran through my head. First and foremost, the kid’s health. #7 didn’t look that good, writhing on the ground in pain, with hands shaking.

From there, I honestly hoped it was the last down Freeman ever played as a Cane because he’d never top the moment. 3-for-3 and a come from behind game winner in Tallahassee? That’s as good as it’ll ever get for this kid on the football field.

A week later, an all time low in the loss to N.C. State. Kyle Wright playing with an amputated ankle couldn’t have put together a worse performance on Saturday. The Miami Herald’s Manny Navarro asked a current Canes’ recruit if he could do better than Freeman’s 1 of 14. The high school senior laughed and said, “with my eyes closed”.

Call me crazy, but I’ll take the confident true freshman next year before I bank on a senior who seems broken beyond repair. Thanks for the good times, Kirby but an injured Wright is better down the stretch than damaged goods.

Moving on to the play calling. Definitely suspect at times. A few days later I’m still sort of second guessing some moves. I don’t really get the notion of back-to-back jump balls to the barely six foot, on the bench all day, in and out of hot water Sam Shields in the waning moments of regulation.

Instead of wasting the skills and stamina of Darnell Jenkins on two consecutive direct snaps earlier in the game, I’d have preferred to see Miami’s lone proven receiving threat in the end zone fighting for those two last passes, instead of Shields. In fact, it sounds like Sam Sr. might feel the same way.

The elder Shields actually called Shannon to thank him for teaching his son about life on and off the field and laying down the law where need be. Shields Jr. was benched for the Marshall outing, the early part of the loss to North Carolina and the first half of the game against N.C. State due to his practice habits.

Shannon’s ways, beliefs and actions are either going to make or break these kids – and I am fine with that. If a player is too fragile to handle the disappointment of a head coach, that kid lacks what it takes to become a champion on the field.

I’m sick of all the “he’s too hard on the kids” chatter. Those who can’t take it, can leave. Those who can will be joined by more who can come February 2008 on Signing Day. If Shannon is such a hard ass, how come almost two dozen kids are on board to play for Miami next fall? ESPN.com rated the Canes future incoming class No. 1 in the nation.

Recruits are showing up weekly for home games and they’re bringing other potential recruits. Miami Northwestern quarterback Jacory Harris is spends every free moment as an ambassador for The U.

Planning to enroll this December to get a jump start on next year, Harris is in the ear of every recruit he comes in contact with. This past week, offensive line recruit Matt Patchan. The five-star prospect was in tow for N.C. State to watch his old man honored as part of the 1987 National Champs team and returns for the OB finale as his official visit.

The recruits are coming, the recruits are coming. Everyone knows it. Especially the coaches, who told recruits at last week’s game to walk up to current Canes who play the same position and let them know they look forward to taking their jobs next year.

Explain to me why the majority of this fan base oft cries for the return of Jimmy Johnson and the hey day of the 80s – yet when they have a JJ disciple in their presence, running show the same way Johnson did they still can’t see the forest for the trees?

Lest not forget how the Johnson era began in Miami. A second choice head coach with no ties to the program. Miami coaches who were retained led a mutiny against him. Lost to Florida State, 38-3 – at home, no less. Blew a 31-0 halftime lead over Maryland , en route to a 42-40 loss. Had his defense shredded by a gnat in the Hail Flutie debacle a week later. Choked away the Fiesta Bowl to UCLA, making it three straight losses and an 8-5 inaugural season.

Remember, Johnson inherited the National Champions and lost five games. Shannon was given a damaged bunch coming off a 7-6 season with an on the field brawl, a teammate murdered and a bowl game in Idaho on blue turf.

Try to imagine the 1984 season taking place during Internet era. How would Johnson have survived the message boards, radio shows, ESPN segments and more-rabid-by-the-minute fan base? He’d have been absolutely crucified and run out of town.

Johnson loved the scare tactics regarding pulling scholarships and promoting competition. How come when he did it, he was a genius, yet Shannon instills a similar strategy and approach – learned from his former coach and boss – he’s chastised and told he’s being too hard on the kids?

JJ lost five games his first season and dropped two his sophomore year, getting worked 35-7 by Tennessee in the bowl game. Year three, Johnson’s Canes made the title game but were embarrassed by both the Heisman-winning Vinny Testaverde (five interceptions) and Penn State’s no name defense.

Year four, as dominant a performance as any Miami team. The 1987 Canes rattled off wins against Florida (#20), Arkansas (#4), Florida State (#4) the first three games of the season and closed out with Notre Dame (#10), South Carolina (#8) and a 20-14 win over top-ranked Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.

I’m not calling Shannon the next JJ. He has to earn that and I have no doubt he’ll bust his ass in the process. What I am saying is he deserves some backing right now – not flip flopping and second guessing. That’s bogus.

Shannon can’t have the program going the right direction and be the right guy after a win over Florida State and then be the goat two weeks later because a quarterback and kicker he didn’t recruit had abysmal games and cost Miami a much needed win.

Patience. It’s a word sports fans loathe, but reality needs to set in regarding this program – presently and in the near future. Miami lacks some talent and depth, but it also lacks the ‘right’ kind of kids this program demands if it’ll be successful again.

KP hanging his head in the above photo. A guy like Derrick Morse still in uniform, staring at the ground in disbelief almost a half hour after the game ended. Since when were players like this few and far between? How about when Larry Coker was in charge and failed to recruit Miami caliber kids.

Can you name the recruiting coordinator last season? I bet you can’t. How do I know? Because Coker never appointed one.

Miami had no recruiting coordinator… which better explains the two verbal commits this time last year compared to the dozen and a half the Canes sport this year. Shannon appointed defensive line coach Clint Hurtt the coordinator and hired a coaching staff full of guys who were in charge of recruiting at their former universities.

The U wants to out-talent the competition. That’s this program’s bread and butter. Talent and harder workers. Miami wants the fast, hard-hitting local kids with some bounce in their step and a winner’s mentality. Guys that bring it on the practice field like other teams do come game time.

Like Johnson, Shannon knows battles are won on the practice field. Hence his no nonsense stand on playing time versus how players practice. That mindset isn’t necessary in the NFL, but at the collegiate level when you’re molding young men as well as football players? It’s crucial.

The day’s of being finesse under Country Club Larry or kids playing scared? No mas. Same to be said for all the big talk and lip service. This program has been talking about the road back to the National Championship since the 2003 Fiesta Bowl. In a few weeks it’ll be four years since Miami has even sniffed the BCS, yet every preseason these kids say all the right stuff and then fail to back it up during the season.

It was pretty embarrassing to hear chants of “New Orleans” by an unranked team who hasn’t even found its way to Jacksonville the past few years. Miami needs to learn how to become winners.

These kids have no clue what it takes to become a championship caliber team, but their coach does. So do the recruits from Northwestern. That’s no accident. Winning breeds winners. Shannon wants kids from winning programs to come to The U. Time to weed out the loser’s mentality which has plagued this program for years.

Give it time, people. Seriously, what choice do you have? The team you see today is light years behind what Miami will field in 2009 or 2010. We’ll start to see more change come 2008, but it is beyond unfair to throw Shannon under the bus nine games into the second largest rebuilding project the University of Miami football program has ever seen.

In other words, Coral Gables won’t be rebuilt in one day.

Pete Carroll went 6-6 year one at Southern Cal. Bob Stoops went 7-5 his first go around with Oklahoma. Jim Tressel went 7-5 his inaugural season at Ohio State, but beat Michigan – much like Shannon beat Florida State.

Urban Meyer was 9-3 year one at Florida, with a full cupboard thanks to Ron Zook, while Miami’s cupboard was ransacked, depleted and bare when Shannon came aboard for Coker last December.

How about Charlie Weis? Back-to-back (underserved) BCS games his first two seasons, yet 1-9 in 2007 and coming off an overtime loss to Navy? I’ve never see a coach go from ‘hero’ to ‘zero’ in a quicker span.

Start judging Shannon come 2009. For now, ride out the final few games and start looking forward to 2008. Yes people, we’re in rebuilding mode and this is what you do.

Now isn’t the time to torch the staff and overanalyze the play calling. News flash, they’re doing all they can with the kids they have. Some there physically but not mentally – and vice versa.

When No. 7 lets a bomb fly on a 3^rd and 5 and overthrows his nearest receiver by 20+ yards – Patrick Nix didn’t call that ill-timed deep ball. Freeman simply missed the two receivers on a crossing patter at the first down marker, panicked and chucked the ball way too deep to avoid an interception.

Take this scenario and times it by a few dozen, because we’ve seen it often this season. The right plays are called, but a lineman misses a block, someone gets called for a false start, a player slips during his route, a quarterback never looks past his first option or forces a ball that never should’ve been thrown.

Try to remember these things the final twelve quarters of this regular season. This is a first year project. Give it time and judge accordingly.

One ‘last hurrah’ at the OB this weekend. Get your asses there and represent. It’s about the stadium, not the current state of this team. We’ve all taken so many big nights out of the Orange Bowl. We owe it to the stadium and our history to pay our final respects one last time. No excuses. Hell, I’m coming back 3,000 miles for this one. Wouldn’t miss it for the world.

From there, Virginia Tech and Boston College. Hope we steal one. Live with it if we don’t. Realize things will be better which each new Shannon-style recruit who signs on the dotted line.

We’ll be back. We’ve been here before and it’s in our blood to earn our spot back at the top. Nobody knows the blueprint better than Shannon. Fall in line. Good things are in store. There’s a game plan being implemented here. Be patient and give it time to develop.

.:Canes305:.

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